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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com